The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of apparatus for the series application of patterns to a spread, web-like flat structure in the form of individual pattern elements which can be bonded with the flat structure by the applicaton of pressure and/or heat.
It is known to the art to apply patterns to flat structures, for instance knitted or woven textiles or textiles formed of fleece, also to carpets and the like, predominantly manufactured individual pieces formed of textile material, for instance, formed of natural fibers, regenerated fibers, synthetic fibers or mixtures thereof, but also synthetic leather, plastic foils and plates or the like, by bonding to the flat structure pattern elements placed thereon in the form of sublimable dyes, transferable pigment dyes or pattern blanks in that for bonding purposes an adhering layer of the pattern elements is activated by application of pressure and/or heat.
With the frequently employed so-called transfer printing processes used for this purpose, the pattern elements are applied to a substrate or carrier, preferably formed of paper, from which they are detached by application of pressure and/or heat and transferred to the flat structure to which the pattern is to be applied.
When using such transfer printing process for fabricating larger meter length of goods, for instance, during applying patterns to larger lengths of textile webs, as a general rule pattern transfer is accomplished continuously by means of transfer calenders from printed paper webs. Yet, production of such printed paper webs is rather complicated, requires the use of relatively expensive engraving of intaglio printing cylinders, templets and so forth, which only justify the use of such paper webs for large production orders.
In contrast thereto, during the application of patterns to individual pieces, for instance T-shirts, blouses and the like, manual operated presses are used instead of transfer calenders. For this mode of operation there can be used individual pattern elements, and for transfer printing, for instance, when working with price favorable offset printing processes, there can be employed paper sheets as the carrier having imprinted thereon the pattern elements and the design costs of which are considerably lower. The transfer process heretofore employed with individual pattern elements is expensive both in cost and work due to the need to apply the pattern elements manually, and therefore, is uneconomical for the printing of textile webs.